


Have I Mentioned We're Out of Our Depth Here?

by Walkerbaby



Series: HAMILTON SHORT STORIES AND ONE SHOTS [4]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: F/M, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-10-08 23:46:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10398885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Walkerbaby/pseuds/Walkerbaby
Summary: For the Hamilton Gift Exchange Spring 2k17. Alexander and Eliza are discussing the future and things are... tense. After all, Alexander doesn't like to be out of his depth and working without a plan and right now? Right now there is no plan.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ashilrak](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashilrak/gifts).



“You should put your feet up.” 

She looked over and saw Alexander hovering in the doorway to the bedroom. “I’m fine.” Eliza turned back to the basket of laundry she was busy putting away. 

“I can do that.” Alexander took the t-shirt she was holding out of her hands and put it back in the basket— not in the drawer where it belonged. “You should go put your feet up. Please.” 

“I need to make di—” 

“I can make dinner.” 

“Alex, you can’t cook,” Eliza said, raising an eyebrow at him. 

“I can so.” He didn’t meet her eyes. “I mean, sure I’m not Lafayette but what can’t he do? I swear the man was created in a lab just to make other guys feel inferior. I mean it’s not enough that he’s got more money than God, he’s gotta be tall and ripped and have big eyes and curly hair that causes your sister to make a complete fool of herself? And if that’s not enough of course he can recite poetry and speak French—”

“He’s French,” Eliza stared at him. 

“Exactly.” Alexander narrowed his eyes at her. “And he cooks like a damn chef and volunteers at an animal shelter to cuddle puppies. What other man can compete with that?” 

“I don’t know.” Eliza shrugged. “But I’m starting to think that perhaps you and Lafayette might have been more than you let on.” 

Alexander gaped at her. “I told you that was a one time thing and we’d both had a lot to drink and it was months before I met—”

“I’m teasing. I know you’re not having an affair with Lafayette. He’s not the type of man to sleep with someone else’s husband.” She slipped past him and started toward the kitchen. 

“What about me?” Alexander yelped as he followed her. “Are you saying I’m the type of husband that would have an affair?” 

She turned and pretended to study him, narrowing her eyes, as her husband fumed under her gaze. He shifted from one foot to another and ran his hand through his hair, pushing the bits that had come loose from his low ponytail behind his ear. “Nah.” She shook her head. “You’re too neurotic to have an affair.” 

“Oh that’s nice,” he retorted. “Thanks. Now will you please go put your feet up?” 

“Dinner isn’t going to make itself.” 

Alexander put a hand on each of her shoulders, holding her still and put their noses together so they were eye to eye, their foreheads touching. “I can make dinner. Now please, go put your feet up.” 

“But—” 

“For me?” 

Eliza sighed. “Fine.” 

She made her way to the couch and sat down, toeing off her shoes and putting her feet up on the couch. “Happy now?” 

“Yes.” Alexander smiled at her before turning and starting to the kitchen. “Now, how do I turn on the oven again?” 

She put her feet on the floor and pushed herself up from the couch. “I told you—” 

He was standing at the tiny breakfast bar, smirking at her. “Joking. Besides, you have the stuff out for spaghetti. That doesn’t require an oven. All I have to do is pop the bread in the broiler once everything else is done. Now, sit. Feet up.” 

“Fine.” Eliza sat, her feet up, and watched as her husband of less than a year began filling a pot with water from the sink and put it on the stove. He got a pan out of the cabinet and started on the hamburger. “Remember to run the water when you drain the hamburger or it’ll—”

“I know.” Alexander didn’t even turn to look at her. “So, after dinner, do we need to go shopping?” 

“Shopping?” Eliza raised an eyebrow. “Why would we—” 

“I just thought, if there was something you were hungry for it might be better if we had some in the house instead of me trying to find an open store at 3 a.m.”

“Like watermelon?” Eliza asked. 

“I…” Alexander swallowed. “I mean I guess we could probably find watermelon. It might take a few stores. Most places don’t stock fresh watermelon in January but—”

“I’m teasing,” she snickered. “I’m not hungry for watermelon.”

“Well.” Alexander kept his eyes on the stove. “Is there anything else you want? Ice cream or pickles or I don’t know? Just stuff.” 

“Alex,” Eliza said softly and then smiled. “I’m fine. If I decide I’m hungry for something I’ll stop on my way to work or on my way home.” 

“Actually,” Alexander said and Eliza could hear the hesitation in his voice. “I was going to talk to you about that.” 

“Me stopping on the way home from work for groceries?” 

“No,” Alexander said, his voice purposely casual. “Do you really think you should be working? I mean not that women can’t work but right now? Do you think you should be working right now? Wouldn’t it be better if you rested?” 

“Alex, I’m not quitting my job.”

“I’m not saying you should quit but maybe take a leave of abscence just for a while? You don’t want to do anything to strenuous.” 

“I’m my father’s personal assistant,” Eliza said. “The most strenuous thing I do is fill the coffee pot with water and walk to and from the elevator.”

“Sometimes he has you go for coffee or tea and you shouldn’t be carrying heavy trays of stuff.” 

“Alex.” Eliza stared at him. “I’m not quitting my job. Not only is there no reason for me to quit, you and I both know we can’t afford it. Especially now.” 

“Well you’re going to have to quit eventually,” Alexander answered. “With the cost of childcare—” 

“I’ll take the baby to work with me. Or to stay with my mother for the day. She’ll love that.” 

“I don’t think we should impose on—”

“Don’t even finish that statement,” Eliza said. “Because I’m pretty sure if the words ‘I don’t want to impose on your parents’ comes out of your mouth, some alarm goes off at Mom and Dad’s and she has to come over here immediately to spoil you.” 

“Point.” Alexander still wasn’t looking at her. “Although, maybe she’ll bring brownies. Last time I set off the Catherine Schuyler alarm she showed up with a tray of peanut butter fudge brownies. I’m just… We could make it work.” 

“How?” Eliza asked. “We’re barely getting by without my parents help as it is. We’re living on my salary until you and Burr get your law practice established and—” 

“I’ll make it work,” Alexander said, his voice tense. “I told you, it would just take a few months for us to start getting clients. Real clients. Clients with money. Burr and I are good lawyers and all we need is a few months to get our firm’s reputation established.” 

“I know.” Eliza swallowed. “It’s just… You didn’t let my dad loan you the money to get started—”

“I don’t need your father’s money.” Alexander began scraping at the pan filled with cooking hamburger angrily. “I can do this myself. I’m not a charity case.” 

“I never said you…” Eliza sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with Alexander about how her father  wanted to help. “When the firm starts making a profit we’ll talk about my quitting work but until then, we can’t afford it.” 

“I can take on more work,” Alexander said. “I talked to Adams, that guy whose got the news blog?” 

“The one you’ve done the legal analysis for?” Eliza asked. 

“He thinks he could maybe swing a paid legal correspondent’s position,” Alexander said. “Three blogs a week and, if the clients we have actually pay us on time, then I think we could afford for you to quit work.” 

“When are you going to get time to write three blogs a week?” Eliza asked. “You and Burr are already doing seventy hour weeks and those pieces you did for Adams took a month each, and the last week of that time you barely slept.” 

“I could make it work. Besides, even if you don’t quit your job, we need a bigger place.” 

Eliza looked around their tiny apartment. It was barely the size of her parent’s master suite in their townhouse, but it had plenty of room for the two of them. The three of them, she corrected herself. It was two bedrooms, even if the bedroom Alexander was currently using as an office was the size of a small closet. It would be enough. 

“We’re fine here.” 

“We need a place with a yard. Maybe something out in Brooklyn. Or even Queens. We could get a small house in Queens.”

Eliza wrinkled her nose at him. “We’re not moving to Queens.” 

“Eliza we need a place with a yard. Or at least a park nearby. Kids need green space. You wouldn’t understand. You grew up on the Upper East Side, your nanny only had to take you three blocks to go to Central Park. If we go three blocks from here our kids are going to be facing a pawn shop and a Thai restaurant where they get nervous and reassure you of their immigration status every time they see someone in a suit.” 

“It’ll be fine.” Eliza didn’t tell him that her father had offered to buy them a townhouse near her parents. Right now she thought Alexander might accept the offer out of desperation but once he’d come to his senses he’d hate himself for it. “You worry too much.” 

“Eliza, you’re pregnant! We’re going to be parents. There’s a lot of shit to worry about. We’re barely getting by each month and now we’re going to have a baby and…”

“It’ll be okay.” She stood and made her way into the kitchen. “We’ll figure it all out.” 

“That’s what I’m trying to do,” he grumbled as she wrapped her arms around his waist. 

“I just think that maybe you’re rushing into your decisions without thinking logically,” Eliza said before pressing a kiss to his cheek. 

“We don’t have forever to make these decisions.” 

“But we don’t have to make them all right now,” she answered. “I am only six weeks pregnant after all. We could just, you know, celebrate first? Worry tomorrow? After all, it’s not every day you find out you’re having your first baby.” 

“Fine.” Alexander turned in her arms and pressed a kiss to her nose. “You’re right. We should be celebrating. We’re having a baby.” 

“We’re having a baby,” Eliza agreed. 

“I just…” Alexander swallowed. 

“What?” 

“Nothing.” 

“What?” 

“I love you so much,” Alexander whispered. “And I don’t want you to ever regret choosing me instead of someone else. Someone with more money and better connections and— Well, someone more like John Church.”

“I could have never been happy with someone like John,” Eliza said and tightened her grip on Alexander. “I’m in love with you.” 

“I’m in love with you too,” Alexander whispered. “I just don’t want you to ever regret us.” 

“Never.” 

“Promise?” 

“I swear.” Eliza smiled at him. 

“Good. Now go sit down, put your feet up, and let me feed you and our baby.” 


End file.
